Meter Made

Find a parking spot with your phone

If you've ever searched for parking endlessly, then spent a fortune at a packed garage, then promptly realized that there's a cheaper option right across the street, fear not: You're among friends. Even better, there's a way to ensure that this will never happen again.

Parking in Motion, a new, free iPhone app (Android version coming soon), helps you find nearby lots and compare rates and then directs you to the parking facility of your choice.

To get started, either input an address or let it use your current coordinates. Next, you'll see a map of the closest garages, all of which you can click for prices, hours, etc. The shopping-cart sign indicates lots that let you reserve directly from your phone--meaning you can take some solace while sitting in traffic for the Bruce Springsteen concert--and the percentage sign indicates how full facilities are. Once you've settled on a lot, Parking in Motion provides turn-by-turn directions for getting there.

In addition to the usefulness of comparison-shopping garages, we're pretty excited about Parking in Motion's forthcoming public parking features: Think real-time street availability and the capacity to pay the meter from your phone.